Draft apparatus.



w. c. F. ZIMMERMAN.

DRAFT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20| 1913.

1 ,202,144. Patented 06u 24, 1916.

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witnesses y a/vl/b ru: Nu-ms r rens on.. pnomumm wAsmNcruN. nv c.

entran srarns 'rafrsnr onirica.

WILLIAM c. F. marinai/ramer LONE 'man IOWA, AssIGNoa To comer` LONE 'TR1-IE, IOWA.,

Laoaraa.

Speccation-of Letters Patent.

ZIMMERMAN srrnenVv Patentedct. 24, 1916;

. To @ZZ 'whom t may concern.'

Be'` it known that I, WILLIAM C. F. ZIM- Y MERMAN, a` citizen of the United States, re-

be hereinafter stated, the invention comprises.

siding; at Lone Tree,fin the county of John.- son and State ofl Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Draft Apparatus;v and I do hereby declare the following tobje a full, clear, and exact descriptionv of the invention, such as .will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use-the same.

This inventionmelates to improvements .inY draft apparatus, and more particularly to.

cable team hitches suchy as are especially adapted for transmission of high. tension stresses, such as are incident toi operating.

stump pulling sweeps, dragging stone boats, harrows,y plows and the like.

The objectL iny view is the provision of means for enabling an easy and ready connection or hitch to the part to` be drawn, which hitch shall be absolutely safe even under the greatest strains and in the most hazardous positions.

A further object in view is the production of a cable team hitch which-is light, strong and easily handled.

With these and further objects in view, as will.v in part become apparentv and in; part certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,-Figure l is a plan view of a hitch embodying the features of the present invention, parts being seen in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detail, horizontal section through the ferrule. Figs. 4L and 5 are detail views of the thimble.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, l, l indicate .the draft receiving members, each preferably consisting of an eye from which extends forwardly a hook 2 and rearwardly a socket 3, the socket, eye and hook being cast integral or otherwise formed rigidly together, and the two eyes being maintained spaced apart by an interposed spacing bar t whose ends enter the eyes and are slightly reduced for admission into the eyes so as to maintain the eyes spaced apart. As a means of firmly retaining the spacer t in place, a wedge 5 is driven into each eye at one side of the respective end of the spacer bar. A keeper 6, consisting preferably of a pivoted link, engages the -free end of each hook 2, and is adapted to prevent accidental dislocationvof'the ring or other engaging device 7 from the hook,the said ring being connectedto the swingletree or-other apparatus to which4 the draft animal is hitched.

A vcable S is arranged with its end portions extending into the respective sockets 3, the bore of each socket beingaredf for.-

wardly andthe strandsof the cable being spread in the enlarged portion of the respectlve socket and interfilled with babbitt or other appropriate material. TheV cable 8 having its ends thus connected extends outwardly inthe form of ay loop, and to cause the loop tohave its membersor legs contractedv abruptly so as to leave parallel portions ofthe cable, a ferrule 9 surrounds the cable and consists of ak tubular sleeve, as clearly seen in Fig. 3, withone end flared, as indicated at 9, and corresponding substantial'lyl with thefangle of the cable portions or -legs and roundedso as toavoid danger of.

having the strands ofy the cable severed or injured, by contact with the end portions of the ferrule. The ferrule isrpref'erably. held against, slipping longitudinally4 of the cable by having those portions of the bore of the ferrule unoccupiedY by the cable filled, withl babbitt, as indicated at 10. At the extreme terminus ofv the parallel portions of the cable beyond the ferrule 9 a U-shaped thimblel1 is fitted between and engages the cable, the said thimble having an outwardly opening channel 12 into which the cable is disposed and in which it is held by retaining lugs 13, 13 formed integral with the thimble and clamped about the cable, as by being swaged thereover.

In operation thecable may be connected to the element to bedrawn in any of various ways, as for instance the thimble l1 may be disposed in the clevis of a plow or otherwise caused to engage the device to be drawn, and when so positioned it will be observed that the thimble effectively protects the strands of the cable against being cut or otherwise injured by contact with the engaged apparatus. As seen in Fig. l, it is preferable to connect the cable, when applied to a cirtects the crossed portions of the cable and prevents either from cutting the other. The circular or cylindrical body shown in Fig. 2

indicates the outer end portion of the sweep of a stump Vpulling apparatus, and the present improved hitch is especially Well adapted for such application as it is designed and constructed to be absolutely impossible to be broken by the draft stresses of tvvo horses.

I/Vhat I claim is 1. In a kdraft apparatus, spaced draft receiving members, a cable having its end portions connected thereto, a ferrule surrounding the cable at an intermediate point in the length thereof for retaining portions of the cable against separation, and means in the ferrule for preventingl the ferrule from moving longitudinally of the cable.

2. In draft apparatus, spaced draft receiving members, a cable connected thereto, a ferrule engaging portions of the cable for preventing spreading apart thereof, and means for preventing the ferrule from moving longitudinally of the cable.

3. In draft apparatus, spaced draft receiving members, a cable having its end por-A tions connected to the respective members, and a ferrule surrounding intermediate portions of the cable for confining the portions of the cable from spreading apart, the fer- `rule being formed With aflared portion directed toward the draft receiving members, and shaped to conform to the spread of the portions of the cable toward said members.

4. In draft apparatus, spaced draft receiving members, a cable having its end portions connected thereto, the cable being formed i into a loop, a ferrule engaging the members of the loop for retaining the same against spreading, and retaining portions of the cable substantially parallel and terminating in a final loop, and a thimble disposed in and engaging the final loop for protecting the cable thereat.

5. In draft apparatus, eyes spaced apart, aspacer barvconnecting the eyes, draft receiving means outstanding from each of the eyes at one side of the spacer bar, a socket connected with each of the eyes at the other side of the respective eye and inclined at an angle toward the other socket, and a bitching cable having its respective ends fixed Within the sockets.

G. In draft apparatus, a draft receiving member adapted to coperate With a like member and comprising an eye having draft receiving means outstanding at one side and a socket outstanding at the other side, the socket being adapted to receive and retain a cable end.

7 In draft apparatus, a draft receiving member' adapted to cooperate with a like member'and comprising an eye, a hook outstanding at one side of the eye, and a socket outstanding at the other side of the eye and disposed at an angle to the aXis of the eye, the socket being formedvvith a bore flaring toward the eye.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM C. F. ZIMMERMAN.

Witnesses J. E. ASHTON, F. T. ATKINs.

. Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, ID. C. 

